Rapper/Actor Watch - Common
Puffy announces that he's lightening his load at BadBoy so that he can focus on acting - claiming to have several projects in the oven, including a supposed Miles Davis pic. Ludacris, dba Christopher Bridges, is in Guy Ritchie's upcoming RocknRolla, while in production are a sci-fi flick called Game and a video-game adaptation with Mark Wahlberg, titled Max Payne. Mos Def has 8 films scheduled for release from 2008 to 2010, including a teaming with master thespian, Jeffrey Wright in a Walter Mosley written, Easy Rawlins romp, Little Scarlet. 50 Cent has 5 films planned for release over the next 2 years - co-starring with the likes of Nicolas Cage, Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro. Xzhibit hopes to shine in 3 films this year alone including X-Files sequel, and an intriguing-looking Oliver Stone drama/horror film called Pinkville, which stars Bruce Willis. I think it's probably safe to say that Ice Cube has made the transition to film, where he plans to enjoy the same kind of commercial success he enjoyed in music. And of course, Common will co-star in this Friday's Angelina Jolie starrer, Wanted. He's already attached to the next installment of the Terminator franchise, while wrestling with rumors that he'll assume super hero duties as Green Lantern in a big screen adaptation of The Justice League comic book series.
Who am I forgetting?
Clearly these guys realize that they can't be rappers forever - well, I suppose they could be, but how many septuagenarians do you know have chart-topping hip-hop albums? As I've said before, diversify, diversify, diversify, and they all are trying to do just that, and I can't blame them! So, no matter how much we despise their performances and cry that they are taking jobs away from "real" actors, it's clear that they are in demand and so are here to stay, whether we like it or not! As Will Smith has shown, going from rapping to become the biggest box office draw to come along in some time, anything is certainly possible!
I stumbled upon this interview with Common on CBR News, talking about his roles in the upcoming films I mentioned above.
Here are some snippets:
About his role in Wanted - I definitely feel that I’ve laid a foundation to let youth know who Common is... As an actor, you’re becoming a person. As a person, you can’t really judge yourself too much so I just approach it like that, taking on these roles and just really wanting it to be a good role; to be in good films. That’s really the goal.
About his role in Terminator 4 - Having been to the set, Common described it as “just incredible. I went to that set and it was like, ‘Man, we are in this world. This is like Terminator. I’m in ‘The Terminator’, right in this world.'
About the rumors of his involvement in Justice League - Man, rumors, those rumors. I can say that if they do a Justice League movie, I would love to be Green Lantern. That’s all I can say. I do like Justice League. I love it.
In closing, he stated, "I don’t think I would want to be pigeon-holed with just one character. I want to show my diversity and make classic movies.”
Read the entire interview HERE.
